Who cares how it happened?
by diam0ndsinthesky
Summary: Beca is starting to dread the fact that Chloe will be graduating and leaving Barden soon. Just a little one shot!


Beca Mitchell, aspiring DJ, was used to listening to music as she studied. It had never distracted her before, in fact it usually helped her concentrate. It's for this reason that the sound of Chloe half singing, half humming 'You're Gonna Miss Me' to herself (sans cup accompaniment) would not normally have irritated Beca whilst she was sprawled out on her bed, trying to read. However, Chloe had just started nodding her head and really getting into the chorus in that adorably enthusiastic way she has when Beca just couldn't take any more.

"Would you **please** stop singing?" Beca finally lets out exasperatedly.

Chloe stops abruptly, looks up from her place at Beca's desk and raises a hand to her throat "oh, sorry" She cringes shyly. "Is my voice really that bad now?" She asks disappointedly.

Knowing how self conscious Chloe had been feeling about her voice ever since her node surgery, Beca mentally berates herself. Here comes that feeling she gets whenever she manages to hurt Chloe's feelings, like she has kicked a puppy or something. "What? That's... no, that's not it" she reassures. "It's just that song"

"I thought you liked this song. Wasn't it your Bellas audition song?" Chloe asks innocently, as if she hasn't committed the entire thing to memory, as if that's not the reason why she can't get it out of her head now.

Beca sighs and explains "I did like that song.. I do like it, it's just the lyrics are really grating on me at the moment"

"Ooh. Okay" Chloe nods and smiles sweetly as though she's just going to drop it, but then continues "The part about whisky? Have you got a bit of a hangover from last night?" Chloe jibes, "too much jiggle juice?" she does a quick jiggle trying to get Beca to laugh.

Beca offers a small smile but doesn't answer. She looks like she regrets saying anything at all now as she turns her attention determinedly back to what she was reading.

This avoidance piques Chloe's curiosity. "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone?" Chloe tries.

"No, not that part" Beca answers a bit too quickly without glancing up. A good liar, Beca is not. Chloe's face breaks out into a wide smile and steps towards her accusingly, perching on the bed beside her.

"It IS that part!" Chloe decides. "So... you're going to miss someone when they're gone?" She teases. "Hmm, now who could that be?" Beca purses her lips and half-glares at her in response. Chloe ignores this and instead fakes a light bulb moment. "Oh, I know who it is!"

_Okay, this is torture._ Beca thinks, _I should have just put up with the stupid song._

"It's Aubrey isn't it?" Chloe smiles wider and nudges her in the side. Beca works to keep her face schooled into a frown but the red head manages to gleam a ghost of a smile.

Beca rolls her eyes. "It's not Aubrey." she dead pans.

"Well.. it can't be any of your fellow freshman since you'll all be back next year" Chloe narrows down happily.

Beca takes a second to gauge Chloe's face, wondering if this might be the perfect time to bring it up. "Actually..." she begins in an ominous tone and the smile Chloe has been wearing for the past few minutes falls from her face. "I'm not.. coming back next year" Beca breaks it to her slowly, fearing that Chloe might have a teensy bit of a negative reaction towards this news.

"What?" Chloe replies, shocked. Then there's an almost angry tone to her voice. "WHY?"

_There it is._ Beca cringes and lets out a sigh. "Chlo... this was always going to be a one year thing for me. My dad said I only had to stick it out for a year and then he'd help me move to LA. I don't know if he's still willing to do that after that ridiculous 'brawl'" she pauses to add air quotes, "at the semi finals, but even if he doesn't... I'm going to figure something out. I've got no reason to stay here either way."

"What about, I don't know, finishing your education?" Chloe splutters in an motherly tone.

Beca scoffs sarcastically, she can't help it. "I could learn more at a radio internship in LA in one week than I will in an entire year here."

"What about... Jesse?" Chloe offers with the air of clutching at straws. Beca scoffs again and purses her lips into a wry smile suggesting that this was yet another weak suggestion. Beca doesn't add anything more and Chloe drops that train of thought.

"Well, what about the Bella's then? They're going to need you next year!" Chloe practically pleads and Beca finally sees the real reason Chloe is getting so worked up over this, her precious Bellas. "I know I had to accost you in the showers to get you to even sign up in the first place, but you can't tell me you haven't loved it. Do not lie to me Beca Mitchell."

Beca smiles at the memory of the shower incident and at the way Chloe is trying to sound authoritative, which really doesn't suit her at all. "You're right, I have loved it this year, being a Bella has been... fun. But you're wrong if you really think they can't go on without me. They're all fantastic and they'll be recruiting even more great singers next year on the back of our win at nationals." Chloe frowns because she hates to be out-argued. Beca looks at the red head placatingly and continues, "Chloe, I can't put my whole life on hold just to rejoin the Bellas. The only reason I joined in the first place was for-" Beca stops herself before saying the word 'you'. "..one reason, which is... to get my dad to give me money for LA." Beca finishes, relieved to have dodged her near miss. She doesn't miss the disappointed reaction on Chloe's face but now is really not the time for confessions when Chloe is graduating and then leaving in less than 2 weeks.

Chloe has been giving her those puppy dog eyes throughout this explanation. When she finishes there are a few moments of silence before Chloe gets up and walks across the room and then back, looking troubled. Beca wants to ask why exactly Chloe cares about the Bella's **this** much but knows that now is not a good time for that question.

"I've got to go meet Aubrey" Chloe says abruptly "I've just remembered, I told her I'd help her with her valedictorian speech." she begins to pick up her bag and heads for the door.

"Oh, okay..." Beca feels a bit blind sided by this as she thought they would be hanging out today. Chloe had even asked her to keep today free for 'one on one hang out time', which in itself is a bit weird since Chloe has never felt the need to schedule such things - she just barges right in. "Um, well... three heads are better than one? Shall I come too?" Beca offers and begins to get up off the bed.

"No that's all right. You stay here." Chloe replies a bit too politely. "I don't think Aubrey wants too many people reading it before it's done, so... see you later" and with that she's out the door before Beca has a chance to say another word.

"Oh, bye then!" Beca yells towards the door, her tone a mix of confusion and annoyance at being bailed on. At that moment, Chloe's departing figure is replaced by the ever-glaring face of Kimmy Jin.

"Could you keep it down?" she says exasperatedly.

"Oh – my god. I was literally just saying goodb-" she stops herself, not wanting to allow the ridiculousness of Kimmy Jin to get her into an even worse mood. She gives her room mate a parting glare, closes her book and leaves the room making sure to slam the door on her way out.

* * *

Beca wanders around campus looking for a quiet place to sit and read in peace. The first of her criteria (that it be a Kimmy Jin-free zone) is a fairly simple one to fulfil. The second criteria however (that it not remind her of Chloe or any of the good times they've spent together this year) is nigh on impossible. The fact that she could almost count the number of days left with Chloe on her fingers is **not** a fact she wants to think about.

She passes the building containing the Bellas' regular rehearsals room (_no where near here_.) and winds up at the empty swimming pool where they first sang 'Just the way you are / Just a dream'. She remembers the look on Chloe's face and how she, Beca, had managed to trick herself into thinking for a moment that she might actually be singing it to her. She thinks about how that was probably the moment she first started to realise how she felt for her bubbly team mate and then laughs somewhat bitterly at the level of denial that briefly followed, before settling on the inescapable reality that she had real feelings for this girl. A little too late.

She walks past the shower block and immediately diverts away from it, rolling her eyes at herself as images of that fateful day flash through her memory. Even the radio station is out of the question because, even though Chloe has barely ever spent any time with her in there, the last flash drive of mixes she gave to Luke comes floating into her head, bringing along with them images of the red-haired inspiration behind them. _This is just one more reason why I need to get out of this place!_ She thinks.

Giving up on the second criteria altogether, Beca finally decides on the only coffee shop on campus that knows how to make a proper double espresso. Even if she and Chloe do frequent it enough to practically call it home, at least the caffeine might perk up her mood.

As she turns away from the counter breathing in her cup's rich aroma, she is caught off guard by a blonde figure waving her over from a corner. "Hey, Beca!" Aubrey calls with a warm smile. This throws Beca off for a moment (still struggling to get used to this new friendly Aubrey) before she remembers where Chloe had said she would be going.

"Hey.. uh, where's Chloe?" she eyes the empty chair across from Aubrey's table noticing no signs of the Blonde's BFF.

"Chloe? I don't know" Aubrey replies, sipping at her cappuccino.

"Oh.. have you finished your valedictorian speech then?" Beca enquires sitting down opposite her. She had thought someone like Aubrey would have taken hours if not days to perfect such a thing.

"Yes, thank you. I finished it last weekend!" Aubrey beams boastfully, seemingly glad for a chance to share this information.

"Huh.. I saw Chloe earlier and she said -" She begins to puzzle but is interrupted.

"She told you about her good news then?" Aubrey interjected in a sing song tone. She was in an annoyingly good mood but Beca was too curious to worry about that.

"Good news? You mean how she-" Beca starts but is cut off again by the older girl.

"Got accepted to do her Masters right here at Barden, **even** though she didn't apply until after the cut off date! Yes!" Aubrey beams with pride for her best friend. Beca would probably have found it kind of endearing if she didn't feel as though she had just been hit in the chest with a ton of bricks.

"She's... staying?" Beca mutters the question before remembering that Aubrey thought she already knew. "Yea! Yes. She did tell me. And.. I'm happy for her.." she covers unconvincingly which causes Aubrey to get the wrong idea.

"Oh, I know, I think she's crazy too! I can't wait to get out of here, I'm so done with education." Aubrey offers laughingly but Beca isn't listening. She's too distracted as their conversation from earlier finally clicks into place. How upset Chloe became when she heard that Beca was leaving... how she tried to think of excuses for her to stay. "She's staying." Beca repeats and then it really sinks in. "I.. have to go, I'll see you around Aubrey!" she supplies hurriedly before darting out of her chair and towards the door.

Aubrey is taken aback, her eyes follow Beca until she's out the door. She looks back at Beca's vacated seat and then whips her head back around. "But... your coffee!" She finishes, frowning.

* * *

The next thing she knows, Beca is outside the apartment that Aubrey and Chloe have shared for the last year, banging on the door probably a little too frantically than is absolutely necessary. After a minute or so of constant knocking, it swings open to reveal an irritated Chloe. "What?" she demands.

"Sorry, it's just me" Beca explains, offering a smile and hoping this will cause Chloe's expression to soften.

It doesn't. "What do you want?" Chloe questions, making no movement to step aside and let Beca in. The shorter girl glances into the apartment. She can't help noticing that most of Aubrey's things are in boxes on the floor whilst everything of Chloe's remains dotted around the place. This causes Beca's smile to grow wider until she reverts her gaze back to Chloe's and notices her tear streaked face.

"Have you been crying?" She reaches out a hand to wipe Chloe's cheek but Chloe takes one step back in response. _Oh god I've kicked the puppy again. I've kicked a puppy. Why do I always do this?_

Chloe doesn't answer. "What do you want?" Chloe repeats with a sniff.

"You're staying at Barden." Beca states rather than questions, and even despite the way things are going at this precise moment she can't keep the elated tone from her voice.

"Oh, noticed that have you?" Chloe replies somewhat sarcastically, turning around to survey the apartment and giving Beca a chance to duck under her arm and into the room. The older girl sighs irritatedly but closes the door anyway.

"Aubrey told me." Beca supplies, and then when Chloe's face displays a look of surprise and betrayal, she adds "She.. thought I already knew." Beca has the grace to look slightly bashful in regards to her earlier deceit, but it wasn't like Aubrey was letting her get a word in edge-ways.

"Well.. what does it matter to you now anyway, you're.. leaving." Chloe's voice hitches on that last word and new tears begin to fall. If Beca had needed any more convincing that her feelings were mutual, this was finally it.

"Actually, I'm not." Beca corrects and takes a confident step closer to Chloe, wanting to hug her but also knowing she had to elaborate first. "I've found a reason to stay. An aca-amazing reason." She smiles but cringes inwardly for actually saying that, after all she had promised herself never to use that ridiculous 'aca' prefix out loud.

"Really?" Chloe asks sceptically, wiping her eyes. "And what is that?" She was normally a bit quicker on the uptake than this, but Beca supposed that her current emotional state might have had something to do with the naivety Chloe was now displaying.

Beca takes one more step towards her, their faces now inches apart. She raises a hand to Chloe's cheek and wipes away the last tear rolling down. "You." She all but whispers.

Chloe's whole body goes rigid at this turn of events, her jaw dropping slightly in that way that it does when she is pleasantly shocked. "Really..?" is all she manages to voice before Beca leans in closer, not able to look away from the taller girl's mouth, gently nodding 'yes' until she captures Chloe's lips with her own.

The moment their lips meet is enough for Chloe to relax as she fully realises what's finally happening. She brings her hands up to thread them through the brunette's hair as she deepens the kiss. Beca brings her other hand up to rest on Chloe's waist, steadying them. It's starting to get quite heated when Beca feels Chloe's mouth form into a smile against hers and she breaks away laughing.

Beca shares her smile. "What's funny?" she enquires almost nervously.

"I'm just really... happy" Chloe beams at her, still wiping away tears. "And.. well.." she sniffs "it is a **bit** funny, sort of. I mean why didn't we just tell each other before?"

"I didn't tell you because I thought you were leaving! ...why didn't you just tell me you were staying?" Beca asks.

"I was going to... I had it planned and I was just about to before you sprang it on me that you were going to LA instead and I thought about still telling you but I didn't think it would actually make a difference and I didn't want to tell you and look like a fool." She rambles, her eyes never leaving Beca's. "I've been a fool anyway though, haven't I?"

Beca nods slowly and stands half on tip-toes as she pulls Chloe's arms back around her. "Yes... but it's okay. Now you're my fool" She grins before kissing her again.

Beca briefly wonders how this even happened. In the space of a year she's gone from the apathetic badass, aspiring DJ with no friends to this a capella singing dork who is giving up moving to LA (for now) because she's fallen for the over enthusiastic red-haired girl with the adorable smile. The answer to these thoughts comes to her instantly though, when Chloe pushes her gently backwards onto the couch and they continue to kiss.

Who cares how it happened.

She's happy.

* * *

**Please review :) I haven't written anything in ages and I'd love to know what you thought of it.**

**diam0nds.**


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